Root crops don’t lend themselves to many preserving possibilities – so when I spotted both swede and carrot amongst the ingredients of the market-leading ‘pickle’ brand, I attempted to reverse-engineer the recipe. But when I tasted my first batch, it wasn’t that like the original… it was much nicer. So I abandoned the attempt to replicate it, and developed the ingredients into a proper chutney.
Ingredients (makes four 454g/1lb jars)
200g (7oz) swede (prepared weight), peeled and cut into 1cm (½in) dice
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200g (7oz) carrot, cut into 1cm (½in) dice
100g (3½oz) cauliflower (prepared weight), separated into tiny florets
100g (3½oz) marrow/courgette, cut into 1cm (½in) dice
250g (9oz) onions, peeled and finely chopped
150g (5½oz) gherkins (fresh or pickled), cut into 1cm (½in) dice
200g (7oz) apples (prepared weight), peeled, cored and cut into 1cm (½in) dice
150g (5½oz) dates, cut into 1cm dice
250g (9oz) soft dark brown sugar
600ml (1pt) malt vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tsp pickling spice, tied into a piece of muslin
½ tbsp mustard powder
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp salt
1. Boil or steam the swede until it is just tender.
2. Put the swede and all of the other ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pan and bring them to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the mixture cook, uncovered, for about an hour, until all the vegetables are tender and the mixture has the consistency of jam.
4. Remove the bag of pickling spice. Spoon the hot chutney into warmed sterilised jars and seal them straight away.
